Friends of the Hat: First and Second Impressions
by Dwarven Runes
Summary: Luffy remembers how he met his nakama. #onhiatus
1. Chapter 1: Zoro

**It occurs to me that I ought to run through a quick logical... thingie majigy before we get started.**

**1. Who wrote this fanfiction? Answer: Dwarven Runes. **

**2. Who is the majestic mastermind that created One Piece? Answer: Oda-sensei.**

**3. Is Dwarven Runes spelled O-D-A? Answer: No.**

** Therefore, Dwarven Runes is not Oda-sensei. Oda-sensei is kind enough to let Dwarven Runes run around blindly in the world of his creation. If Oda-sensei were writing fanfictions, and posting them on the internets, Dwarven Runes would be very surprised that he is not using them for his job, which is accumulating awesomosity in the form of the One Piece franchise. **

**Enjoy the fruits of my struggle to fathom the world of Oda's One Piece.**

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><p>Luffy remembered the day he first met Zoro.<p>

His first impression: what a weakling.

What strong person would let themselves get tied to a post? Che.

But he looked pretty strong.

Why'd he look so strong if he was weak?

He probably was strong.

But if he was strong, why was he tied to a post?

It was a mystery.

Luffy decided to solve it.

Solving mysteries meant patience. Luffy normally couldn't wait for anything. Especially food.

But Zoro wasn't food.

Along came a little girl. She clambered over the wall and walked straight toward Zoro. She offered him a rice ball.

Second impression: ah ha!

Zoro threatened the little girl, sure. But he didn't really mean it. The girl knew that on some level. Zoro knew that most definitely. And Luffy knew that without a doubt. Colby didn't. Shishishi! What an idiot!

So Zoro was a caring person.

But was he strong?

The little girl said he was.

So Zoro was a strong man.

Later, Luffy handed Zoro his swords. Zoro fought with him. Zoro ate with him. Zoro went on the ship with him. They sailed away together.

So Zoro was his nakama.


	2. Chapter 2: Nami

Luffy remembered how he met Nami.

First impression: she was smart. Way too smart for Luffy. Heck, she got him into a cage with no resistance from him at all.

But she struck a deal with him, and he expected her to keep it.

Then, Buggy told Nami to turn the cannon on Luffy.

Second impression: she was strong. She bent a little under the pressure, but held her own until Zoro arrived.

Luffy never doubted her then, and has never doubted her since.

They're nakama.


	3. Chapter 3: Usopp

Luffy remembered the first time he met Usopp. He'd landed on that island hungry, and there was Usopp, lying his butt off. Usopp gave up fast enough when he found out the Straw Hats were real pirates, and showed Luffy and his crew a really great restaurant. They sat and talked for a while.

First impression: despite lying about how many men he had, Usopp was amaaaaaaa-zing! He'd gone to so many places and done so many things!

But then Luffy remembered that Usopp was a liar. That had kind of sucked.

All liars have something to hide, though.

So Luffy grabbed his crew and went after that long-nosed liar. It was a mystery he had to solve! What was Usopp hiding?

Luffy watched Usopp confront Klahadore, and later, Captain Kuro.

Second impression: he was brave.

Sure, he acted as though he was terrified, but he was a liar! That coward's act was a lie Usopp had convinced himself was true.

But he had the strength to break through that lie.

And underneath the lie, he was brave.

So very, very brave.

And so they were nakama.


	4. Chapter 4: Sanji

Luffy remembered how he met Sanji.

There'd been some stupid business with a cannonball, and a move he'd used inaccurately, but it'd been sorted out eventually.

He'd been mildly resigned to his forced labor, at least for a little while.

But then he saw Sanji beat up the random Marine jerk.

First impression: he was a pretty strong guy, and a great cook too! Luffy'd been pretty happy about that.

But Sanji was also girl-crazy, and a bit of a pervert, to be honest. He seemed... shallow, for lack of a better word. Luffy wasn't good with words.

But he had a feeling that there was something more to Sanji. So he looked closer, and watched more carefully. And then he saw Sanji give that Gin guy food.

Ah. So that's what it was.

Second impression: Sanji was compassionate. He couldn't bear to see anyone starve. He couldn't help but care about things and people even when he swore he didn't.

Yes, Sanji was kind. That was why he gave Gin food.

Sure, he didn't seem kind all the time.

Sometimes he acted sort of mean. (It was only a few stupid dishes! Hmph.)

And yeah, he didn't let Luffy eat everything on the table.

...but Sanji was a kind man.

So Sanji was his nakama.

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><p><strong>Hi! It's me again!<strong>

**In case you're wondering, this chapter was posted a day later than I wanted it up. I have three reasons.**

**1) Life**

**2) Plot bunny attacks (I'll be putting up a One Piece oneshot called ****_Uso-ball_**** soon. I'll let you know.)**

**3) Sanji just wasn't speaking to me. I couldn't figure him out for the LONGEST time, and I still don't think I quite nailed him. Let me know what you think, please!**


	5. Chapter 5: Nami's Betrayal

**Redery, here it is.**

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><p>Luffy remembered when Nami left the crew. It wasn't one of his better memories.<br>When he first saw the Merry gone, he was afraid that it had sunk.  
>But Nami had taken it with her instead, and that almost hurt worse.<br>Had she left because she didn't trust them?  
>Hm...<br>No, that didn't make sense to Luffy.  
>He tried to think of another good reason, but it made his head hurt.<br>So he decided to go after her instead of thinking so hard. She was nakama, and that was enough for him.  
>He never doubted once that following her was the right thing to do. She was nakama, and he trusted her.<br>He trusted that she had a good reason to leave. He knew that this desertion wasn't driven by greed.  
>He trusted her when she told him to leave. It was an act, a lie, nothing more substantial than Usopp's many men.<br>He trusted her even when it seemed Usopp was dead by her hand. That hand was hurt, he was certain. No, she did something else.  
>Yes. He trusted her.<br>But Nami didn't fully realize his trust in her. She pushed it away, afraid that it was too good to be true.  
>He had to fix it, help her.<br>So Luffy thought, and thought hard. He needed to show her what she knew deep down, but couldn't quite see.  
>Then he knew what had to be done.<br>Troubled times call for extreme measures...  
>So he gave her his hat. His hat was his golden treasure, his most valuable possession. He gave it to the Thief, and went to fight Arlong without a second glance.<br>He didn't doubt she'd give it back.  
>He just wanted her to know that he trusted her.<br>And, when all was said and done, Nami knew that she was nakama.

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><p><strong>Hey guys. Just an fyi, I've decided I'll be updating every Wednesday. I figured it would be best if I had a regular deadline. <strong>

**Btw, if any of you like _Ranger's Apprentice_ and Minecraft, I posted a oneshot crossover. **

**If you could care less about either, that's okay too.**

**Go! Have fun! Read other fics! Just please remember to come back next Wednesday.**

**D. Runes**

**Update (2/11/14): I have come to the conclusion that deadlines are too much work for a person like me. That is, a person who writes for pleasure and to escape from the real world and real deadlines. This story has been put on hiatus until further notice. I sincerely apologize for making everyone wait so long for nothing. **

**Until next time!**

**-D. Runes**


	6. Chapter 6: Chopper

Luffy remembered the first time he saw Chopper.

He had been hungry, and tired. But he'd taken a nap. So he was mostly hungry.

And so, when he'd woken up, and a strange animal was standing _right next to him_…

Well.

First impression: meat!

And that was the first time he saw Chopper.

But it wasn't the first time he met him.

So that first impression was a fake. It wasn't real. It was just a gut reaction. A literal gut reaction, caused by his hungry stomach.

But no.

The first time they met was later, when Luffy and Sanji had stopped chasing the little reindeer around, largely because they'd lost him and had begun exploring the castle.

There had been no difference between the outside and inside of that castle. It'd been cold and snowy all the way through because the main door was open.

So they decided to close the stupid door.

But Chopper, though Luffy hadn't known his name then, stopped them with a loud warning and a change of size.

And then Luffy saw the chicks in the nest atop the door. Sanji had said that they would fall off if the door closed.

First (real) impression: huh. This reindeer must really like birds.

…but he could just move them and close the door.

Why keep the door open then?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…...

...Hm?

…

Maybe…

…Maybe he doesn't just like these birds.

Maybe he loves them.

...

That nest is their home.

If he loved them, he wouldn't wreck it, or make them move.

…

So he loves the birds.

He loves them enough to leave the door open. He lets the castle be really, _really_ cold for these birds.

He's a caring reindeer.

And he challenged Sanji and I when we went to close the door.

Us, he challenged us. We were going to eat him. He's got guts. Pretty strong, too.

He wants to protect the people he loves.

And he doesn't care that they're just birds.

Yup.

He's strong in every way.

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><p>And then the 'talking reindeer that could grow and shrink' part sunk in.<p>

Second impression: Wait a minute. A talking reindeer?! And he could get big! And then small! And, and, he could talk! And he's strong! And he's a monster!

…

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!

And even though that's when Luffy went to find Chopper to ask him to be on the crew, that wasn't when Luffy had decided that Chopper would be a crew member.

No. Not this time.

This time, Luffy had decided before the second impression.

This time, the first impression was enough.

And this time, like all the other times, this time Chopper became his nakama.

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><p><strong>Hello. It has been a while, hasn't it?<strong>

**I'd like to apologize for that. **

**There's a very good reason for it. **

**I kind of gave up manga and anime for Lent, and could not remember, for the life of me, how exactly Chopper and Luffy first met. I didn't have any time for research until today.**

**So…yeah. That happened.**

_**Letters to the Author:**_

**i: Oh, thank you! I'm glad you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Robin, Robin, and Robin

Luffy remembered the long first time he met Robin.

It started with puzzlement. Good guy? Bad guy? What? What?

Confusing. Very confusing.

But he decided to be patient and wait the confusion out.

Normally he's never patient for anything.

But Robin was Robin.

Was she good? Was she bad? Blegh. Too confusing to figure out, and it didn't matter after a while anyway. It was Robin, and that's all he needed and wanted to know.

Robin had a devil's fruit that let her grow different parts of her body.

Luffy always knew which hands, arms, limbs, eyes, faces, were fake. It was easy.

And Robin was nakama.

So he waited patiently for when he could see her real face.

It would take a while. She had many different faces.

But they were nakama. What else would he do but be patient for her?

So he'd waited.

Alabasta.

Skypeia.

And then, of course, Water 7.

And now she was just being stupid, saying she wanted to die.

Like he was going to let that happen.

She didn't seem to get that. And Robin was smart, so he didn't get why she didn't get it.

So, after a long while of waiting for Robin to finally get it, he'd gotten impatient. He wasn't a patient man to begin with, and besides, it wasn't fair of her to say that when they wanted to protect her. And then, she went off to save them by herself. Save them by dying, no less. Nope. Robin wasn't playing fair at all.

So he declared war on the world. So what? Since Robin wasn't being fair to them, they wouldn't be fair to her. If she wanted to die for them, then they would die for her. Hmph.

And then, she said she wanted to live.

She wanted to live.

It was the first time he'd heard that since they sort of met in Alabasta.

Ah.

Robin's true face at last.

A long, oh so long, turtle slow impression.

And that's the long version of how Luffy met Robin.

The short version, of course, is that he saved her. The first impression was confusing, saying dangerous, a lone wolf, but the second one said she wanted, and needed, friends, a family. Why else would she go with them?

But that's how the long story goes too.


End file.
